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Preparing horse sinew for drying

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jameswoodmot:
JW, when simmering, is it ok if the sinew pieces shrivel? I put the bits I had in my slow cooker and set it to low, forgot about it and the scraps had shrivelled up from the heat. Hadn’t been like it for long and I could put my fingers in the water. I wasn’t able to measure the temperature. I assumed this would mean the glue was damaged but you suggest simmering which is hotter than this was.


Roughly pounded a tendon today. I set it in the kiln to dry and i didn’t run it for long enough, there was a little bit of mould on them when I got back but got it going for another few days and they seem fine.
Coarser than deer leg sinew but not as coarse as the deer back strap I would say.

Just one tendon and getting 15” strands, others were longer tendons.

The suspensory ligament looks quite different but breaks into slightly coarser fibres. I’ll save these and use just these ligaments on a bow and see what they’re like. Oilier than the tendons
The ligament is an energy store in the living horse and acts like a spring as it’s loaded so hopefully those properties will be transferred to the bow.

Pappy:
That's looking very good.
Pappy

bjrogg:
That sure looks like it should work.

Bjrogg

superdav95:
Agreed.  Looks like good stuff.  As for the glue.  If you can still put your hands into it you are more then safe.  I cook mine around 60-65 degrees.  It Will sometimes get a little hotter when covered but that’s fine. Just don’t want it to boil or simmer.  Just a slow and low cook.  This releases the glue.  The scrap tendons will shrivel up and that just means they are breaking down.  The larger end cuts of tendons will even get fatter as they break down.  It will take a few days btw. 

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